The present invention relates to a vane axial fan which includes a motor that is supported at least partially within a fan housing by one or more radial struts. More specifically, the invention relates to a vane axial fan in which at least a portion of the power electronics components for the motor are mounted on one of the struts.
Variable speed, high efficiency vane-axial fans often include power electronics for generating the current required to drive the motor. Typically, the power electronics components are located inside the motor housing, which is suspended inside the fan housing by a series of radial struts. However, this arrangement has several disadvantages. For example, the power electronics components take up space which could otherwise be used for a larger, more efficient motor. In addition, the heat generated by the power electronics components must be dissipated through the same heat transfer path as the heat generated by the motor. Furthermore, the size of the circuit board on which the power electronics components are mounted is limited to the maximum diameter of the motor.